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The court is adjourned for the day.

16:41

Man, 35, fails to attend court

Magistrates will now deal with the case of Tristan Berryman, aged 35, of no fixed address.He is charged with possessing cannabis, failing to provide a specimen and driving without insurance, but has not attended court. A warrant has been issued.

16:39

Drink-driver works nights as a cleaner

Angela Trafford, mitigating, said Parkes had drunk ‘a couple of cans’ before driving. She said: “He lives with his parents. They are both disabled and he is the registered carer for his mother. He has also started employment working nights as a cleaner.”Magistrates have fined him £260, plus £135 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge. He is disqualified from driving for 14 months, which will be reduced if he completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course.

16:37

Driver caught drink-driving in Smallthorne

Prosecutor Ruth Bentley said police spotted Parkes driving on Ford Green Road, Smallthorne, with a light out. She said: “Officers pulled him over. As they spoke to him he was unsteady on his feet. He provided a positive roadside breath test.” He later gave an alcohol reading of 52 micrograms in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.

16:34

Meir motorist admits drink-driving

The next case is Thomas Parkes, aged 28, of Stockfield Road, Meir. He has pleaded guilty to driving while over the alcohol limit on November 27.

15:25

Defendant will remain in custody over Christmas

Magistrates have decided to remand Sylvester in custody. He will be produced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on January 14.

15:19

Bail application made

The case will be heard at the crown court.James Hulse, representing Sylvester, has asked magistrates to grant the defendant bail. They have retired to consider his application.

15:17

Man appears in court from the cells

The next case is Ryan Sylvester, who has been brought into the courtroom from the cells as he is in custody. The 26-year-old, of Clarence Road, Dudley, is charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and taking a vehicle without consent - in Stoke-on-Trent - on November 6.

15:14

Newcastle man, 35, accused of breaching football banning order

Next on the list is Danny McCoy, aged 35, of Quarry Bank Road, Newcastle.He is due before the court charged with failing to comply with a football banning order by allegedly not surrendering his passport to police ahead of an England match, as he is required to. He has not attended court.Magistrates have been told McCoy may not be aware of the hearing, so a one-week adjournment was granted. McCoy is due to appear again on December 18.

15:12

Shoplifter lands £155 court bill

Magistrates have handed Cairns a 12-month conditional discharge, meaning he will not be punished if he stays out of trouble for the next year. He must also pay £135 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

15:12

Shoplifter is no longer homeless

Robert Glenn, mitigating, said Cairns was subject to a community order which had only just started at the time of the offence.He said: “Now, for the first time in a long time, Mr Cairns has a network of support in place to help him. He was homeless from August but now has accommodation at Hope Street. He has a support worker and a key worker and is engaging with a drug and alcohol agency on a voluntary basis. He now has no reason to commit offences.”

15:08

Shoplifter pinched two bottles of Jack Daniels

Prosecutor Ruth Bentley said Cairns went into the supermarket and took two bottles of Jack Daniels before removing the security tags.

She said: “He was stopped by security and detained. The goods were recovered. Upon arrest he admitted the offence in full.”

15:07

Sanisbury's, in Hanley

(Image: Google Maps)

15:06

Hanley man went shoplifting in Sainsbury's

Magistrates will now deal with Cal Cairns, aged 36, of Hope Street, Hanley.He has pleaded guilty to shoplifting at Sainsbury’s in Hanley on November 26.

15:05

Sneyd Green motorist was more than THREE times over the drink-drive limit

The next case is Nathan Forrester, aged 27, of St Andrew’s Crescent, Sneyd Green. He has pleaded guilty to driving while over the alcohol limit in Smallthorne on November 25. His alcohol reading was 127 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.Magistrates require a pre-sentence report from the Probation Service before Forrester is sentenced, but this cannot be done today. The case has been adjourned until December 18. An interim driving ban has been imposed on Forrester.

15:03

Leek man accused of stealing steaks from the Co-op

Magistrates have returned to court for the afternoon session. First up is Dean Eastlake, aged 28, of Mill Street, Leek, who is charged with stealing steaks from the Co-op, in Leek, on October 28. He has not attended court. Magistrates have been told he is ill, so the case has been adjourned.

13:19

That's it for the morning - See you at 2pm

The court has now adjourned

13:12

Hanley Bus Station troublemaker sentenced

Rebecca Dulson, mitigating, said: “The defendant has little recollection of what occurred on this occasion due to her intoxication. She fully accepts the crown’s case. She has a number of difficulties. She had a very difficult upbringing, she has learning difficulties and suffers with her mental health. Sometimes she drinks to excess in order to block out the thoughts she has.”Magistrates have handed Walters a 12-month conditional discharge, meaning she will not be punished if she stays out of trouble for the next year. She was ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge.

13:10

Hanley Bus Station

13:08

Two women had fight outside Hanley Bus Station

Prosecutor Ruth Bentley said police were called to the bus station to a report of a woman being abusive to security staff and members of the public. Miss Bentley said: “Police arrived. She was using foul and abusive language. She had a fight with a unknown female in the street.”

Police say the defendant was so aggressive she had to be restrained by security staff until officers arrived. She would not cease to use foul language.”

13:06

Defendant is living at Burslem's George Hotel

The next case is Natasha Walters, aged 28, who is living at The George Hotel, in Burslem.She has pleaded guilty to committing a public order offence at Hanley Bus Station on November 25.

13:05

Morrisons troublemaker: 'I'm ashamed of myself'

Green, who is not represented by a solicitor, has accepted he had behaved in the way described. He has told magistrates he ‘was not in a good place’ when the incident happened, as it was close to the birthday of a loved-one who died two years ago. He added: “I’m ashamed of myself.”Magistrates have handed him a six-month conditional discharge, meaning he will not be punished if he stays out of trouble for the next six months. He must pay £135 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

13:01

The Morrisons car park on Festival Park

12:58

Morrisons troublemaker told police: 'I don't give a ****, arrest me'

The bench has been told that police were called to a report of a disturbance on Morrisons car park. They spoke to a group which included the defendant. Prosecutor Ruth Bentley said: “It was apparent the defendant was drunk. He was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were glazed and his speech was slurred. He became irate. He was walking with his chest puffed out in an aggressive manner. The police asked him to calm down. He said, ‘I don’t give a ****, arrest me’. That’s what happened.”

12:49

Festival Park

12:48

Man, 33, admits being drunk and disorderly at Festival Park

Next up is Alan Green, aged 33, of Whitfield Street, Leek.He has pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly at Festival Park on November 20.

12:41

Defendant: 'I barely had a wrap of heroin'

Magistrates have been told that police stopped Bruce for an unrelated matter and searched him. He was found to have a bag of white powder that tested positive for heroin.Tony Cooke, mitigating, said: “His instructions to me are that it was barely a wrap of heroin. He has pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. He tells me that he hasn’t got a heroin addiction. This was just a one-off.”Magistrates have fined Bruce £120 and ordered him to pay £185 court costs and a £35 victim surcharge.

12:40

Brindley Ford man admits having heroin

The bench will now deal with Nicky Bruce, aged 38, of Patrick Place, Brindley Ford. He has pleaded guilty to possessing heroin at Longton on November 25.

12:39

18-week prison sentence for ex-partner attack

Magistrates have jailed Taylor for 18 weeks and ordered him to pay £100 compensation to the victim. A restraining order has also been imposed prohibiting him from contacting the victim for six months.

12:38

Defendant: 'Send me to prison'

Magistrates have been told that a pre-sentence report was previously ordered in the case but, in his interview with a probation officer, Taylor said he wanted to go to prison.Richard Oldroyd, mitigating, said: “The best mitigation is that there was a retraction statement from the victim and he still pleaded guilty.”

Mr Oldroyd said Taylor had no intention of rekindling the relationship with the victim, but they would stay in contact because she is pregnant with his child.